Triathlon Club members triumph

The man who cycled through Europe and North Africa to run in the 150-mile Marathon Des Sables staged a unique event of his own on Saturday.

It was called an Aquathon. First you swim. Then you run.

The Triathlon Club meets on Saturday afternoons at the swimming pool at St Mary's special needs school in Wrestwood Road, where Dean coaches.

The club is open to all with a young people's session from 4pm to 5pm and adults from 5pm to 6pm.

Saturday's Aquathon attracted entrants between five and 16 from all Bexhill schools in addition to St Mary's own young sportsmen and women.

Thanks to sponsorship from British Triathlon and from club

funds, there was a medal and a mug for everyone who completed the Aquathon.

Dean explained: "The little ones are swimming 60m and running 500m

"The older ones are swimming 100m and running just short of a kilometre around the school grounds."

The primary aim of the day was to raise the public profile of the Triathlon Club.

Dean says: "It is pretty much the only kids' club in the country that does triathlon.

"We are open to all. We have an adults section.

"Most triathlon clubs start with adults, then take on disabilities and kids.

"We did it the other way round. We started with disabilities and took on adults later."

The club has a dozen adult members and about 30 youngsters.

Anyone is welcome to join. Further information is available from Dean Baker on 734309.

"We started about three years ago. British Triathlon rang me and said 'We are doing triathlon at the East Sussex Games and we want to include disabilities in it. You teach people with disabilities to swim. Would you put a team together'¦?'"

Dean has a philosophy that everyone's needs and abilities are different. He coaches them on an individual basis to match this.

He has a motto: "Nothing is a problem."

He says: "It was a huge success. Everyone cried at the end of it!

"The kids said 'Can we carry on?'

"So we did.

"I had to go through the coaching scheme to set it up as a club rather than as a one-off.

"We have done some work with British Triathlon in developing the sport and we hope to get it included in the Paralympics in 2012.

"I have been doing some coaching with the squad. I think we have one lad here who is a potential for the Paralympics in 2012. He is the right age.

"We need to fund a hand-bike and a racing wheelchair, which will cost about 1,000.

"He's 15 now. He can go up next year into the juniors and then into the

GB team - and there he will be in at the deep end, it's open-water swimming."